Life — May 13, 1920 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Life Magazine Page 1890 Analysis This page is primarily a **Rubberset brush advertisement** disguised as editorial content. The large cartoon depicts a anthropomorphized brush character holding a piece of paper (a letter dated December 14, 1918), illustrating the ad's central claim: the brush has served Mr. Bassford since 1890 and remained reliable "until the date of his letter." The accompanying text uses humor to contrast life in 1890 versus the present day—no automobiles, no airplanes, no movies. This nostalgic comparison emphasizes how durable the Rubberset brush is: despite decades of technological change, it still works. The satirical poem on the left ("In the Subjunctive") is unrelated political humor, but the page's focus is clearly the advertisement using a sentimental narrative to sell brushes through product longevity claims.